Plan2Live
Member
Openly carrying a handgun in South Carolina became legal August 1th, 2021. Leading up to the passage of that Bill there was a virtual barrage of commercials, guest appearances and entire segments on local talk radio devoted to demanding SC legislators pass the open carry law. Two of the local talk radio hosts were adamant that we needed this new law. Callers were calling in voicing their support for this law. Certain lawmakers claimed, on air, that their phone lines and social media accounts were jammed with supporters of the Bill urging them to vote to pass the Bill. The House and Senate approved the Bill and the Governor signed it into law.
Not being a fan of open carry, I anxiously waited to see how people would react once it became effective. Since the day it became legal to do so in South Carolina I have seen exactly one person open carrying a handgun. That was roughly nine hours after the law went into effect. Since that time, I have not seen a single person openly carrying. I have asked “gun friends” if they have seen anyone open carrying and not one has reported seeing anyone open carrying in public.
As I said above, I am not a fan of open carry, I see fewer practical or tactical advantages to open carry than the practical and tactical advantages of carrying concealed. I Also believe our (SC) existing concealed carry laws could have easily been amended with language addressing and allowing “momentary and unintentional” exposure of a concealed handgun to cover those moments where a CWP holder’s cover garment blows back in the wind or rides up as they reach for an item on the top shelf in a store. This seemed to be one of the loudest arguments for passing open carry but I have yet to hear from any of my friends in SC that carry that they have ever been called out for momentarily exposing their concealed firearm.
So my question is this, if so many people in South Carolina were chomping at the bit to pass open carry legislation, why aren’t more people in South Carolina open carrying?
Yes, I am aware that the Bill that passed is a compromise Bill but that does not negate my question.
Not being a fan of open carry, I anxiously waited to see how people would react once it became effective. Since the day it became legal to do so in South Carolina I have seen exactly one person open carrying a handgun. That was roughly nine hours after the law went into effect. Since that time, I have not seen a single person openly carrying. I have asked “gun friends” if they have seen anyone open carrying and not one has reported seeing anyone open carrying in public.
As I said above, I am not a fan of open carry, I see fewer practical or tactical advantages to open carry than the practical and tactical advantages of carrying concealed. I Also believe our (SC) existing concealed carry laws could have easily been amended with language addressing and allowing “momentary and unintentional” exposure of a concealed handgun to cover those moments where a CWP holder’s cover garment blows back in the wind or rides up as they reach for an item on the top shelf in a store. This seemed to be one of the loudest arguments for passing open carry but I have yet to hear from any of my friends in SC that carry that they have ever been called out for momentarily exposing their concealed firearm.
So my question is this, if so many people in South Carolina were chomping at the bit to pass open carry legislation, why aren’t more people in South Carolina open carrying?
Yes, I am aware that the Bill that passed is a compromise Bill but that does not negate my question.